Major Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran of the Laurel County Fire Department, was tragically killed while responding to a fire alarm when the tornado touched down.

The Jackson, Kentucky, office is one of at least four such facilities across the country that is so short-staffed that it is no longer routinely operating 24/7.

Aerial video footage from areas in the South and Midwest, including Kentucky, show a trail of destruction left by devastating storms and tornadoes.

The National Weather Service in Paducah has confirmed that at least nine tornadoes touched down across the western Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri region Friday afternoon and evening.

Kentucky could see some severe storms overnight Monday into Tuesday. However, the risk of more severe storms is looming for Tuesday afternoon.

A slight risk for severe weather is in the forecast for Louisville, but areas of Kentucky already hit hard by tornadoes could see more severe storms.

At least three emergency orders were issued in 2024; three were also issued in 2023, five in 2022, two in 2021 and one in 2020. A violent wave of Friday storms and a tornado has killed at least 19 people in Southern Kentucky.

The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touched down in southeastern Indiana during Friday night's storms.